Interactive television systems with conflict management capabilities
View Patent ↗An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to establish time-based settings. The user may set television program reminders, advance-order pay-per-view programs, schedule programs for recording, and establish parental controls to prevent television viewing during certain times on certain channels. The interactive television application may be used to support video recorder functions such as personal video recorder functions implemented locally on the user's set-top box or other equipment and network-based video recorder functions implemented using servers at cable television headends and other network locations. The interactive television application may also be used to deliver video-on-demand content. When the user requests that video be delivered, conflicts may arise between the requested video delivery and the previously-established time-based settings. The interactive television application may provide the user with on-screen options that allow the user to select how to resolve these conflicts.
1. A method for using an interactive application that is implemented using user equipment, comprising:
receiving a user input creating a time-based setting associated with a program in the interactive application;
receiving a user request to access media;
determining an expected running time of the requested media, wherein the expected running time of the requested media results from a user action prolonging playback of the media;
determining, based on the expected running time, whether there is a conflict between the requested media and the time-based setting at a time associated with the time-based setting, wherein the conflict arises when the expected running time of the requested media overlaps with the time-based setting; and
in response to determining that the conflict exists, generating for display at least the following options from which the user may select to resolve the conflict:
(i) perform the time-based setting, and
(ii) access the media.
2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the time-based setting is selected from the group consisting of: a program reminder setting, an ordered pay-per-view program, a scheduled recording setting, and a parental control setting.
3. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising using the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the time-based setting and to receive the requested media to resolve the conflict.
4. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising using the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested media to resolve the conflict.
5. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the time-based setting is a parental control setting, the method further comprising using the interactive application to provide the user with an option to override the parental control setting to resolve the conflict.
6. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising generate for display a screen for the user on the user equipment that notifies the user of the conflict and that contains multiple options for the user to select to resolve the conflict.
7. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising using the interactive application to provide the user with an option to defer accessing the requested media to resolve the conflict.
8. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the requested media is video-on-demand content from network equipment, the method further comprising using the interactive application to provide the user with an on-screen option on the user equipment to cancel delivery of the video-on-demand content from the network equipment to resolve the conflict.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to pause the accessing of the media for the duration of the time-based setting.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time-based setting is a reminder for a program, the method further comprising providing an option for the user to record the program selected for the reminder.
11. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein resolving the conflict by performing the time-based setting comprises canceling, pausing, or deferring the accessing of the media.
12. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein resolving the conflict by accessing the media comprises rescheduling the time-based setting, canceling the time-based setting, or recording a program associated with the time-based setting.
13. User equipment for use in an interactive system in which programming is delivered to a plurality of users over communications paths, the user equipment comprising control circuitry configured to:
receive a user input to create a time-based setting associated with a program in the interactive application;
an opportunity receive a user request to access media;
determine an expected running time of the requested media, wherein the expected running time of the requested media results from a user action prolonging playback of the media;
determine, based on the expected running time, whether there is a conflict between the requested media and the time-based setting at a time associated with the time-based setting, wherein the conflict arises when the expected running time of the requested media overlaps with the time-based setting; and
in response to determining that the conflict exists, generating for display at least the following options from which the user may select to resolve the conflict:
(i) perform the time-based setting, and
(ii) access the media.
14. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is selected from the group consisting of: a program reminder setting, a scheduled recording setting, and a parental control setting.
15. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a program reminder is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the program reminder and to receive the requested media to resolve the conflict.
16. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a program reminder is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested media to resolve the conflict.
17. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is for a scheduled recording of a program is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the recording of the program and to watch the requested media to resolve the conflict.
18. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a scheduled recording of a program is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested media to resolve the conflict.
19. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a parental control setting is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to override the parental control setting to resolve the conflict.
20. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a parental control setting is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested media to resolve the conflict.
21. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , is further configured to use the interactive application to generate for display a screen for the user that notifies the user of the conflict and that contains multiple options from which the user can select to resolve the conflict.
22. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , is further configured to use the interactive application to generate for display an on-screen option for the user that the user may select to defer accessing the requested media to resolve the conflict.
23. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the requested media is video-on-demand content from network equipment is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an on-screen option to cancel delivery of the video-on-demand content to resolve the conflict.
24. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the requested media is network-based video recorder content from network-based video recorder equipment is further configured to use the interactive application to provide the user with an on-screen option to cancel delivery of the network-based video recorder content to resolve the conflict.
25. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry includes a hard drive for recording a program for which a given reminder was set when the requested media conflicts with that reminder.
26. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , is further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to pause the accessing of the media for the duration of the time-based setting.
27. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein the time-based setting is a reminder for a program, is further configured to provide an option for the user to record the program selected for the reminder.
28. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein resolving the conflict by performing the time-based setting comprises canceling, pausing, or deferring the accessing of the media.
29. The user equipment defined in claim 13 , wherein resolving the conflict by accessing the media comprises rescheduling the time-based setting, canceling the time-based setting, or recording a program associated with the time-based setting.