Search engine for a video recorder
View Patent ↗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.
1. A method for searching for media comprising:
receiving, from an input device, a user search entry comprising one or more characters, wherein the one or more characters are entered in an alpha-numeric input area for searching a database, wherein the alpha-numeric input area includes a plurality of characters; and
disabling input into the alpha-numeric input area of at least one character from the plurality of characters based at least in part on determining that no database entries match a combination of the search entry and the at least one character.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating to a user as to which of the plurality of characters have been disabled from being input into the alpha-numeric input area.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the indicating to the user comprises making disabled characters appear opaque and un-selectable.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characters are input by selecting corresponding characters displayed in the alpha-numeric input area using an input device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
matching the characters entered in the alpha-numeric input area with the one or more database entries; and
displaying an interactive results listing comprising results corresponding to the matched one or more database entries.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the interactive results listing is displayed only after the number of the matched one or more database entries is determined to be less than a predetermined threshold.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the displayed results comprise one or more show listings.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising enabling a user to perform an action by selecting a show listing from the one or more show listings.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the action comprises watching a show corresponding to the selected show listing, recording a show corresponding to the selected show listing, or scheduling a show corresponding to the selected show listing to be recorded later.
10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising automatically creating categories based on common attributes of the matched ones of the one or more database entries.
11. A system for searching for media comprising:
an input device; and
control circuitry configured to:
receive a user search entry with the input device, the user search entry comprising one or more characters, wherein the one or more characters are entered in an alpha-numeric input area for searching a database, wherein the alpha-numeric input area includes a plurality of characters; and
disable input into the alpha-numeric input area of at least one character from the plurality of characters based at least in part on determining that no database entries match a combination of the search entry and the at least on character.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to indicate to a user as to which of the plurality of characters have been disabled from being input into the alpha-numeric input area.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the indicating to the user comprises making disabled characters appear opaque and un-selectable.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more characters are input by selecting corresponding characters displayed in the alpha-numeric input area using an input device.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
match the characters entered in the alpha-numeric input area with the one or more database entries; and
display an interactive results listing comprising results corresponding to the matched one or more database entries.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the interactive results listing is displayed only after the number of the matched one or more database entries is determined to be less than a predetermined threshold.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the displayed results comprise one or more show listings.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to enable a user to perform an action by selecting a show listing from the one or more show listings.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the action comprises watching a show corresponding to the selected show listing, recording a show corresponding to the selected show listing, or scheduling a show corresponding to the selected show listing to be recorded later.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically create categories based on common attributes of the matched ones of the one or more database entries.
21. A method for searching for media comprising:
generating for display an on-screen alpha-numeric input area, wherein the alpha-numeric input area includes a plurality of characters;
receiving, from an input device, a user input of a search entry comprising one or more characters, wherein the one or more characters are entered into the on-screen alpha-numeric input area;
searching a database with the search entry for database entries corresponding to the search entry;
disabling input into the on-screen alpha-numeric input area of at least one character from the plurality of characters based in response to determining that none of the database entries match a combination of the search entry and the at least one character; and
indicating to a user the at least one character is disabled.