IP Library Granted Patent US 9,495,415
Granted Patent B2
US 9,495,415 · App. 13/222,986 · Granted Nov 15, 2016

Method and system for searching for content in a user device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,495,415
App. No.
13/222,986
Granted
Nov 15, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for searching for content in a user device includes a receiver receiving a plurality of data objects. The user device includes a search module comprising a parsing module parsing search data from the plurality of data objects and a memory interface module storing search data within a memory of the user device. The search module comprises a search performance module searching the search data in response to a search query. The search module comprises a search results module generating search results from the search data. The user device is associated with a display that displays the search results.

Claims (100)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data objects at a user device, said plurality of data objects including program guide data;

parsing search data from the plurality of data objects at the user device to form a search index different than the program guide data, said search index comprising search string objects, token objects and word objects, said word objects each having a first word and a second word associated therewith, said search string objects each having at least one token identifier associated therewith;

storing the search index within the user device separate from the program guide data;

in response to a search query, searching the search index stored within the user device by identifying the word object from the search query alphabetically until a second space is entered in a user interface, and, after the second space is entered performing:

identifying token objects from the word object,

identifying a string object from the token object, and

obtaining a token list having token objects and thereafter storing the token list to one of the token objects;

generating search results from the search index; and

displaying search results.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving a plurality of program guide objects.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving a plurality of channel objects.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving a plurality of program guide objects and channel objects.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving the plurality of program guide objects and channel objects through a satellite.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving a plurality of schedule objects.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of data objects comprises receiving a plurality of video-on-demand objects.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the search string objects comprise a string identifier, a token identifier and a data object identifier.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the search string objects comprise a string identifier, a token identifier, and an object identifier identifying a first data object of the plurality of data objects.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising removing a search string object of the search in response to the object identifier.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing search data comprises storing the word objects alphabetically based on the first word.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing search data comprises storing the search data in a database within the user device.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising weighting the search results with a relevance weight associated with a string object, wherein displaying the search results comprises displaying the search results in response to the relevance weight.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the relevance weight comprises a weight for one of a top match type, a first word article type or a string type.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the relevance weight is prioritized in order of the top match type, the first word article type or the string type.

16. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the relevance weight corresponds to a string type.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the string type comprises one of a channel string type, category string type, title string type and name string type.

18. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the string type is prioritized in order of channel string type, category string type, title string type and name string type.

19. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein when the relevance weight is equal, displaying comprises displaying the search results in alphabetical order.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating search results comprises generating search results in response to suggestion data.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein generating search results comprises generating search results in response to a suggestion data from different sources.

22. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising communicating the suggestion data to the user device from a head end.

23. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data at the user device.

24. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data at the user device based on content used at the user device.

25. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data at the user device in response to customer subscription services.

26. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to previous purchase data.

27. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to series recording data.

28. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to watched content.

29. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to searched content.

30. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to searched movie content.

31. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to searched person content.

32. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to searched person content and filmography data from an external source.

33. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to content use statistics.

34. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to content used and similar content data from an external source.

35. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to a user device location.

36. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to a user device location and content used at the user device.

37. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating the suggestion data in response to an external source to the user device.

38. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating the suggestion data in response to a website external to a content processing system.

39. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to predicted popularity.

40. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to a ranked list of content from an external source.

41. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to content from an external source and content used at a user device.

42. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising generating suggestion data in response to content from an external source and content used at a user device and user device location.

43. A user device comprising:

a receiver receiving a plurality of data objects, said data objects including program guide data;

a search module comprising a parsing module parsing search data from the plurality of data objects to form a search index different than the program guide data and a memory interface module storing the search index within a memory of the user device separate from the program guide data, said search index comprising search string objects, token objects and word objects, said token objects having a token identifier, a word object identifier for one of the word objects and a string type corresponding to search string objects, said word objects each having a first word and a second word associated therewith, said search string objects each having at least one token identifier associated therewith;

said search module comprising a search performance module searching the search index using the word objects, the string objects and the token objects in response to a search query by identifying the word object alphabetically until a second space is entered in a user interface, and after the second space is entered performing:

identifying token objects from the word object,

identifying a string object from the token object, and

obtaining a token list having token objects and thereafter stores the token list to one of the token objects to form search data;

said search module comprising a search results module generating search results from the search data; and

a display displaying search results.

44. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the plurality of data objects comprises a plurality of program guide objects.

45. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the plurality of data objects comprises a plurality of channel objects.

46. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the plurality of data objects comprises a plurality of program guide objects and channel objects.

47. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the plurality of data objects comprises a plurality of schedule objects.

48. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the plurality of data objects comprises a plurality of video-on-demand objects.

49. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the parsing module parses search data into search string objects.

50. A user device as recited in claim 49 wherein the search string objects comprise a string identifier and a token identifier.

51. A user device as recited in claim 49 wherein the search string objects comprise a string identifier, a token identifier and a data object identifier.

52. A user device as recited in claim 49 wherein the search string objects comprise a string identifier, a token identifier, and an object identifier identifying a first data object of the plurality of data objects.

53. A user device as recited in claim 52 wherein the parsing module removes a search string object of the search in response to the object identifier.

54. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the memory interface module stores the word objects alphabetically based on the first word.

55. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein the search module comprises a relevancy engine having relevancy weights therein, said relevancy engine weighting the search results with a relevance weight of the relevancy weights associated with a string object, wherein the display displays the search results in response to the relevance weight.

56. A user device as recited in claim 55 wherein the relevance weight comprises a weight for one of a top match type, a first word article type or a string type.

57. A user device as recited in claim 56 wherein the relevance weight is prioritized in order of the top match type, the first word article type or the string type.

58. A user device as recited in claim 55 wherein the relevance weight is equal, said display displaying the search results in alphabetical order.

59. A user device as recited in claim 55 wherein the relevance weight corresponds to a string type.

60. A user device as recited in claim 59 wherein the string type comprises one of a channel string type, category string type, title string type and name string type.

61. A user device as recited in claim 59 wherein the string type is prioritized in order of channel string type, category string type, title string type and name string type.

62. A user device as recited in claim 43 wherein search results module generates search results in response to suggestion data.

63. A user device as recited in claim 62 further comprising a head end communicating the suggestion data to the user device.

64. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates suggestion data.

65. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on content used at the user device.

66. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on customer subscription services.

67. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on previous purchase data.

68. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on series recording data.

69. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on watched content.

70. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on searched content.

71. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on searched movie content.

72. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on searched person content.

73. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on searched person content and filmography data from an external source.

74. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on content use statistics.

75. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on content used and similar content data from an external source.

76. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on a user device location.

77. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on a user device location and content used at the user device.

78. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on an external source to the user device.

79. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on a website external to a content processing system.

80. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on predicted popularity.

81. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on a ranked list of content from an external source.

82. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on content from an external source and content used at a user device.

83. A user device as recited in claim 62 wherein the user device generates the suggestion data based on content from an external source and content used at a user device and user device location.

Assignments (5)
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY IN PATENT SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH (AS SUCCESSOR TO CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH)
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 072994/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 25, 2024
From: DIRECTV, LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066371/0690 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 5, 2021
From: DIRECTV, LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058220/0531 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: DIRECTV, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057695/0084 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 29, 2021
From: THE DIRECTV GROUP, INC.
To: DIRECTV, LLC
Reel/Frame 057028/0004 →