System and method for construction, delivery and display of iTV applications that blend programming information of on-demand and broadcast service offerings
View Patent ↗A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.
1. A method, comprising:
providing, by an apparatus, in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,
wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a display of one of the levels of the hierarchy of levels for a single screen of a display device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blending comprises linear content and non-linear content.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the linear content comprises television programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming that is available irrespective of a scheduled transmission time.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a remote control configured to navigate through the hierarchy of levels.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a search function configured to allow a user to search for content across the at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the levels are defined by a service provider.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, at the at least two levels, a blending of information about content previously stored on the apparatus.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a terminal device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a server.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the server is configured to transmit the at least two levels to a terminal device.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a widget control configured to sequence a video inset window of a multi-level program guide based at least in part on content included in a selected content category.
13. An apparatus comprising a memory having stored therein a software module including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
provide, in at least two levels of a plurality of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,
wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the blending comprises linear content and non-linear content.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
generate a display of one of the levels of the plurality of levels for display on a single screen of a display device.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
provide a search function configured to allow a user to search for content across the at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content.
17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
receive data elements of linear programming data and non-linear programming data relating to a single category of content; and
aggregate the data elements in the single category.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
configure the blended at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content as a plurality of programming categories arranged around the circumference of a displayable circle.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:
provide, in at least two levels of a plurality of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,
wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
generate a display of one of the levels of the plurality of levels for display on a single screen of a display device.