IP Library Granted Patent US 9,866,784
Granted Patent B2
US 9,866,784 · App. 13/299,388 · Granted Jan 9, 2018

Methods, systems, and products for programming guides

Inventor: David Steading (Marietta, GA)
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
H04N5/44543H04N21/431H04N21/47211H04N21/482H04N21/858
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,866,784
App. No.
13/299,388
Granted
Jan 9, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and products generate a programming guide. An association is stored between programming events and a package of programming. The programming guide is generated as a programming grid of cells that displays a wrapper surrounding all cells in the programming grid of cells that are associated with the programming events in the package of programming.

Claims (35)

1. A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory device, electronic associations between multiple programming events and a package of programming;

generating, by a processor coupled to the memory device, an electronic programming guide as a programming grid of cells, the electronic programming guide causing display of a wrapper that simultaneously highlights only the cells in the programming grid of cells that are associated with the multiple programming events associated with the package of programming, the wrapper displaying a title that is common to the multiple programming events in the package of programming;

generating, by the processor, a package mode of operation associated with the electronic programming guide, the package mode of operation responding to navigational inputs to a navigator that scroll from the title displayed by the wrapper to a different title displayed by a different wrapper associated with a different package of programming; and

linking, by the processor, an entry in a cell of the cells associated with the package of programming to a prerecorded event stored in the memory device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the cell to electronic content stored in the memory device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the cell to electronic content stored in a digital video recorder.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the cell to electronic content stored in a set top box.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the cell to electronic content stored in a video player.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the cell to electronic content stored in a music player.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a list of music files.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a list of games.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

retrieving an electronic association between programming events and a pay-per-view package of programming;

generating an electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells associated with the pay-per-view package of programming, each one of the cells in the programming grid of cells associated with a different one of the programming events, the electronic programming guide displaying the programming events and a wrapper that simultaneously surrounds both contiguous and non-contiguous ones of the cells that are associated with the pay-per-view package of programming, the wrapper listing a title associated with the pay-per-view package of programming;

generating a first mode of operation associated with the electronic programming guide, the first mode of operation responding to navigational inputs to a navigator that scroll from the title displayed by the wrapper to a different title displayed by a wrapper associated with a different package of programming;

generating, by the processor, a second mode of operation associated with the electronic programming guide, the second mode of operation responding to other navigational inputs to the navigator to scroll within the wrapper between the cells that are associated with the multiple programming events; and

linking an entry in a cell of the cells in the programming grid of cells associated with the programming events to a prerecorded event stored in the memory device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise processing an input that scrolls within the programming grid of cells.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise processing an input that scrolls from an event of the programming events to another event of the programming events within the pay-per-view package of programming.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise scrolling in the programming grid of cells from the wrapper to another wrapper associated with a different pay-per-view package of programming.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise highlighting the wrapper.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise scrolling in the programming grid of cells between the non-contiguous ones of the cells in the programming grid of cells.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise highlighting the cell in the programming grid of cells.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise highlighting each cell of the programming grid of cells that is associated with the pay-per-view package of programming.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise simultaneously highlighting the wrapper and the programming events.

18. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

storing electronic associations between programming events and a pay-per-view package of programming;

generating an electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells associated with the pay-per-view package of programming, each one of the cells in the programming grid of cells associated with a different one of the programming events, the electronic programming guide displaying a wrapper that simultaneously provides package information associated with the pay-per-view package of programming and event information describing the programming events;

generating a package mode of operation associated with the electronic programming guide, the package mode of operation responding to navigational inputs to a navigator to scroll between different pay-per-view packages of programming having different wrappers;

generating an event mode of operation associated with the electronic programming guide, the event mode of operation responding to the navigational inputs to the navigator to scroll between the cells associated with the programming events within the pay-per-view package of programming; and

linking any one of the cells in the programming grid of cells to a prerecorded event stored in the memory device.

19. The memory device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise highlighting the wrapper.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2017
From: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 044127/0941 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 28, 2017
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 044040/0822 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 28, 2017
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 044040/0868 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 28, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 044040/0890 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ORIGINAL RECORDATION BY RE-RECORDING CORRECT DOCUMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 027264 FRAME 0681. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FULL, EXCLUSIVE AND ENTIRE RIGHT, TITLE AND INTEREST.. Recorded Jan 31, 2012
From: STEADING, DAVID
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027624/0265 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2011
From: STEFANIK, JOHN R.; STEADING, DAVID
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027264/0681 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 11256980 · Oct 24, 2005
Continuation In Part 09748905 · Dec 27, 2000
Provisional Application 60214529 · Jun 27, 2000
Related Publication 20120128326A1 · May 24, 2012