Content alert upon availability for internet-enabled TV
The user of an Internet-enabled CE device such as an Internet protocol TV (IPTV) can enter search terms describing desired Internet-sourced programs, and Internet channels are monitored to detect when the desired programs become available. When a desired program is detected an alert appears on screen, which can be selected to navigate to a current alert user interface (UI) from which detected desired programs can be selected for presentation.
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The present application relates generally to alerting users of Internet-enabled TVs when desired Internet content becomes available.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONInternet access through TVs is typically provided by essentially programming the TV as though it were a computer executing a browser. Such Internet access is thus uncontrolled except as a firewall or filtering program might block certain sites.
As understood herein, uncontrolled Internet access may not be desirable in the context of a TV. A firewall or filtering program may not always be installed on the TV and even when one is installed, access remains much more uncontrolled than conventional TV programming traditionally has expected. Also, a locally installed filter can be unloaded or defeated by a user.
Accordingly, uncontrolled Internet access has several drawbacks. From a viewer's standpoint, exposure to inappropriate subject matter particularly when young viewers are watching is one concern; a much lower threshold of quality screening is another. That is, while many TV shows might not be widely considered as “quality” shows, nonetheless a TV program is usually much more selectively screened than, say, an Internet video. The expectations of TV viewers for such higher level quality screening as a consequence cannot be met by simply providing unfettered Internet access through the TV. Furthermore, TV-related entities, from content providers, manufacturers, and carriers, in most cases derive no benefit from the extension of TV to the Internet.
As further recognized herein, even in a structured and controlled Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) system the Internet content will change constantly and can also grow. Unlike televised content, however, IPTV systems may not provide electronic program guides (EPGs) for Internet content or may not update such guides quickly enough to account for rapidly changing Internet programming. Thus, a user can more easily miss a desired Internet-sourced program.
Furthermore, a desired Internet-sourced program may be difficult to find in the first place, requiring Internet-type searching on the part of the user. Searching, however, is effective only for locating current content, not future content.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, a CE device includes a housing, a display on the housing, a network interface, and a processor in the housing controlling the display and communicating with the Internet through the network interface. The processor executes logic that includes receiving user preferences and/or keywords via a user interface (UI) presented on the display and periodically communicating with one or more content servers via the network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content. Further, the logic includes searching the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords. Responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, the logic presents on the display a visual alert and/or presenting on the speaker an audible alert indicative of a match to indicate to a user that new content conforming to the preferences and/or keywords is available for play on the CE device.
In some embodiments the logic further includes, responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, adding a name of a program found to match on a “current alert” list and presenting the current alert list upon invocation thereof on the display.
If desired, an entry on the current list may be deleted at the elapse of the user-defined expiration period, upon user command to delete, and/or when the entry is selected from list for play.
The CE device can initiate communication with the content servers to access the metadata. Or, the CE device can wait until a content server that has updated the content available communicates new metadata to the CE device. The preferences/keywords can be uploaded to the content server which performs search and match logic and return an indication thereof to the CE device.
In another aspect, an apparatus includes a housing, a display on the housing, a speaker, a network interface, and a processor in the housing controlling the display and speaker and communicating with the Internet through the network interface. The processor executes logic that includes presenting on the display a user preferences and/or keywords entry user interface (UI) and responsive to a determination that content satisfying the user preferences and/or keywords which was not available at the time of entering the user preferences and/or keywords has become available at an Internet server, presenting on the display an alert icon to indicate the availability of content. Responsive to an invocation of a current alert UI, a UI listing a name of the content in a current list is presented on the display. The current alert UI is usable to select the content for presentation on the display.
In another aspect, a method includes receiving from a user of an Internet-enabled CE device search terms describing desired Internet-sourced programs. The method also includes monitoring at least one Internet source to detect when the desired programs become available, and responsive to a determination that a desired program is detected, generating a signal representative thereof useful for presenting an alert on a screen of the device.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSReferring initially to
To undertake present principles, the processor 16 may access one or more computer readable storage media such as but not limited to RAM-based storage 22 (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory 24. Software code implementing present logic executable by the CE device 12 may be stored on one of the memories shown to undertake present principles.
The processor 16 can receive user input signals from various input devices, including a keypad 26, a remote control device 27, a point and click device such as a mouse, a keypad, etc. A TV tuner 28 may be provided in some implementations particularly when the CE device is embodied by a TV to receive TV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellite receiver, cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signals from the tuner 28 are sent to the processor 16 for presentation on the display 18 and speakers 20.
As shown in
Now referring to
Additionally, a program name field may be provided as shown, into which a user may enter the name of a particular program, e.g., “Yankees Game”. Further, a keyword field may be provided into which a user may enter keywords such as “victory” or “Jeter homerun” to further narrow subsequent searching for a desired program. The user preference entries are saved in one of the above-disclosed memory devices.
Based on the preferences, search logic is executed and example logic is described further below. Upon detection of a desired program from an Internet source,
If desired, the UI 42 in
Now referring to
Proceeding to block 48, the CE device 12 searches the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords received at block 44. It is to be understood that alternatively, the preferences/keywords can be provided to the content servers 34, which perform the search and match logic and return an indication thereof to the CE device 12.
Decision diamond 50 indicates that as a result of the search at block 48, the CE device 12 determines whether a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords received at block 44. If a match exists, at block 52 an alert such as the icon 40 in
Alternative to clicking on the “alert” icon 40 to select content, a predeterminedley on, e.g., the RC 27 (such as “enter” or “return”) may be toggled to select newly available Internet-sourced content for play. If desired, an autofill feature may be provided such that during the input of preferences, the CE device 12 makes suggestions of potential preferences or automatically fills the preference field based on the first few letters input by the user. After a predetermined period of time from its appearance, the icon 40 preferably is removed from view on the display 18. Also, the CE device 12 may provide for individual user login, in which case the search results based on a particular user's preferences/keywords are kept separate from those pertaining to other users. The UI 42 of
While the particular CONTENT ALERT UPON AVAILABILITY FOR INTERNET-ENABLED TV is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.
Claims
1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:
- housing;
- display on the housing;
- audio speaker;
- network interface;
- processor controlling the display and speaker and communicating with the Internet through the network interface;
- the processor executing logic including:
- receiving user preferences and/or keywords via a user interface (UI) presented on the display;
- periodically communicating with one or more content servers via the network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content;
- searching the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords;
- responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, presenting on the display a visual alert and/or presenting on the speaker an audible alert indicative of a match to indicate to a user that new content conforming to the preferences and/or keywords is available for play on the CE device.
2. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further includes, responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, adding a name of a program found to match on a “current alert” list and presenting the current alert list upon invocation thereof on the display.
3. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period.
4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list upon user command to delete.
5. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list when the entry is selected from list for play.
6. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises initiating communication with the content servers to access the metadata.
7. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises waiting until a content server that has updated the content available communicates new metadata to the CE device.
8. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises providing preferences/keywords to the content server which performs search and match logic and return an indication thereof to the CE device.
9. Apparatus comprising:
- housing;
- display on the housing;
- audio speaker;
- network interface;
- processor controlling the display and speaker and communicating with the Internet through the network interface;
- the processor executing logic including:
- presenting on the display a user preferences and/or keywords entry user interface (UI);
- responsive to a determination that content satisfying the user preferences and/or keywords which was not available at the time of entering the user preferences and/or keywords has become available at an Internet server, presenting on the display an alert icon to indicate the availability of content; and
- responsive to an invocation of a current alert UI, presenting on the display a UI listing a name of the content in a current list, the current alert UI being usable to select the content for presentation on the display.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the logic further includes:
- periodically communicating with one or more content servers via the network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content;
- searching the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords; and
- responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, presenting on the display the visual alert and presenting on the speaker an audible alert indicative of a match to indicate to a user that new content conforming to the preferences and/or keywords is available for play on the apparatus.
11. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period.
12. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list upon user command to delete.
13. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list when the entry is selected from list for play.
14. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic further comprises initiating communication with the content servers to access the metadata.
15. Apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic further comprises waiting until a content server that has updated the content available communicates new metadata to the apparatus.
16. Method comprising:
- receiving from a user of an Internet-enabled consumer electronics (CE) device search terms describing desired Internet-sourced programs;
- monitoring at least one Internet source to detect when if the desired programs become available; and
- responsive to a determination that a desired program is detected, generating a signal representative thereof useful for presenting an alert a corresponding message on a screen of the a device of the user.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is executed by an Internet server.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is executed by the CE device and the method further includes:
- responsive to selection of the alert, presenting on the screen a current alert user interface (UI); and
- responsive to selection of an entry on the current alert UI, playing content underlying the entry on the device.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
- periodically communicating with one or more content servers via a network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content; and
- searching the program metadata received from the content servers using user-entered preferences and/or keywords describing the desired Internet-sourced programs.
20. The method of claim 17, deleting an entry at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period and/or when the entry is selected for play.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 5, 2013
Date of Patent: Nov 10, 2015
Assignee: Sony Corporation (Tokyo)
Inventor: Orlando Arreola (San Diego, CA)
Primary Examiner: Frantz Coby
Application Number: 13/759,351
International Classification: G06F 17/30 (20060101); H04L 29/08 (20060101); G06F 19/00 (20110101);