Echostar Technologies Corporation

Dish Technologies L.l.c.

Matthew Coburn

Karen M Taxier

Luke VanDuyn

Daniel L Rudolph

James Matthew White

Mark Templeman

Jarrod Austin

Sathyan Krishna

Karen Michelle Taxier

Danny Jean Minnick

John T Kennedy

Seth Byerley

Luke Vanduyn

Michael Steinert

One embodiment may take the form of an apparatus for providing personalized multimedia content to a user of a television system based on the user's preferences. In one implementation, a television receiver of a television system may monitor the habits and usage of the users of the system. The information gathered concerning the usage of the system may be stored in a database and accessed by the television receiver to provide multimedia options to a user that may be of interest to the user. These options may be presented to the user through any number of on-screen guides accessible by the user on the television system. In other implementations, the multimedia options based on the user's preferences may be automatically presented to the user as part of a favorite channels list at least partially constructed by the user.

Personalized multimedia content driven by user preferences

Systems and methods are provided for presenting a picture-in-picture (PIP) window on a television or other display generated by a set-top box (STB) or other video receiver. The picture-in-picture window is presented in conjunction with a navigation feature on the display. A two-dimensional input associated with the navigation feature is received from a remote control having a touchpad or other two-dimensional input device. The picture-in-picture window on the display is appropriately adjusted in response to the two-dimensional input.

Systems and methods for graphical control of picture-in-picture windows

A method for managing digital content is provided. The method includes accessing the digital content and applying at least one content management rule by a set-top box to the digital content. The content management rule operative to place the digital content in one of a first storage location and a second storage location, which are associated with the set-top box. The digital content may include programs or movies and the storage locations are generally operable to store multiple programs and/or movies.

Digital file management system

Systems and methods provide for graphically controlling numeric, alphanumeric or other symbol-based features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver. A keypad image is presented on the display that includes key images corresponding to the symbol-based features. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates one of the key images, and imagery on the display is updated in response to the received two-dimensional input.

Systems and methods for graphical control of symbol-based features in a television receiver

An enhanced electronic program guide (EPG) for television programming may be provided by changing a size of at least a portion of textual information to be displayed in the EPG. In embodiments, a television receiving device may include: a memory configured to store an EPG, the EPG including textual information corresponding to television programs scheduled to be broadcast; a user interface configured to receive user input; and a processor in communication with the memory and the user interface, configured to output the EPG to be displayed with at least one portion of the textual information in a first size in response to first user input received via the user interface, and configured to output the EPG to be displayed with the at least one portion of the textual information in a second size different from the first size in response to a second user input received via the user interface.

Electronic program guides, systems and methods providing variable size of textual information

Systems and methods provide for graphically providing customer service features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control. Imagery including a customer service tile is presented on the display. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates that the tile has been selected, and, in response to the received two-dimensional input, the customer service feature is provided. The customer service feature may provide information received from a remote source via a network, programming connection or other medium.

Systems and methods for providing customer service features via a graphical user interface in a television receiver

The various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods which facilitate the display of television recording information to. More particularly, television recording information is presented visually to a user in a recording information menu. The visual recording information menu includes a time axis, and recording timers associated with particular television programs are presented as visual representations along the time axis. In the case that multiple television receiving resources are available, a resource axis may separately present recording timers associated with each of the disparate television receiving resources.

Methods and apparatus for visually displaying recording timer information

Systems and methods provide for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) on a display generated by a set top box (STB) or other television receiver. The electronic program guide is presented in at least a portion of the display. A resize indicator is also provided on the display so that viewer inputs corresponding to the resize indicator can be received. The size of the electronic program guide presented on the display can be adjusted in response to the viewer input corresponding to the resize indicator.

Systems and methods for graphical adjustment of an electronic program guide

Systems and methods provide for graphically providing features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control. Imagery including various tiles each corresponding to one of the provided features is presented on the display. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates a selected one of the plurality of tiles, and, in response to the received two-dimensional input, the feature associated with the selected tile is provided.

Systems and methods for graphical control of user interface features in a television receiver

The exemplary embodiments of the method and system according to the present invention provide a system and method for controlling access to audiovisual content such as television shows, video-on-demand services or streaming video which can be delivered by cable, satellite, wired or wireless networks, cell phones, the Internet, etc. More particularly, the present invention provides a capability to define certain criteria which can be used to restrict access to content based on combinations of various parameters including, but not limited to, time of day, day of the week, type of content, source of content, content display device, etc. These criteria may also be provided by data storage arrangements or a network, and access restrictions specified by such criteria can be associated with a plurality of display devices.

Controlling access to content and/or services

An enhanced electronic program guide (EPG) for television programming may allow access to program information based on a specified date. In embodiments, the EPG may be output for display with timeslots containing program information corresponding to television programs being broadcast currently and to television programs scheduled for future broadcast, and a header indicating a plurality of dates for accessing corresponding program information. User input received while the EPG is being output for display with the header indicating a plurality of dates that identifies one of the plurality of dates may cause program information in the EPG corresponding to the identified date to be accessed and the EPG to be output for display with the program information corresponding to the identified date and with a header indicating times of the timeslots. In embodiments, the header indicating times of the timeslots may replace the header indicating a plurality of dates.

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

Matthew Coburn