COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD
The present invention relates to a communications system ( 100 ), comprising one or more communications networks ( 104 ); a plurality of content items accessible over said one or more communications networks; a plurality of content item receivers ( 108 ) operative to access one or more of said plurality of content items over said one or more communications networks; a data store of configuration data for one or more of said plurality of content item receivers; a search module operative to identify one or more of said plurality of content items and corresponding metadata responsive to a search request from a one content item receiver of said plurality of content item receivers; and a content filter module operative to filter content items identified by said search module in dependence on configuration data corresponding to said one of said plurality of content item receivers to generate a list of content items. The invention also relates to an apparatus and method.
1 - 17 . (canceled)
18 . A method for identifying content items accessible by a plurality of content item receivers over one or more communications networks using a CPU and a software program, comprising:
identifying a plurality of content items and corresponding metadata responsive to a search request from a one content item receiver of said plurality of content item receivers; and
filtering content items identified by said search module in dependence on configuration data corresponding to said one of said plurality of content item receivers to generate a list of content items.
19 . A method according to claim 18 , further comprising filtering content items identified by said search module in dependence on said corresponding metadata.
20 . A method according to claim 18 , wherein said configuration data comprises information on one or more of: video decoders supported by said one content item receiver; bandwidth of communication channel with said one content item receiver; display format of a display device associated with said one content item receiver; and display drivers supported by said one content item receiver, such that said list consists of identified content items usable by said one content item receiver.
21 . A method according to claim 20 , wherein said configuration data comprises information on a viewer profile corresponding to a user identity associated with said one content item receiver.
22 . A method according to claim 21 , further comprising searching a content item index.
23 . A method according to claim 22 , wherein said content item index further includes metadata associated with one or more indexed content items.
24 . A method according to claim 23 , further comprising ordering said list according to relevance to said search request.
25 . A method according to claim 24 , further comprising identifying one or more further content items associated with a content item corresponding to a specific content item identifier in said list to form a further list of content item identifiers.
26 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein said specific content item identifier is the first in said list.
27 . A method according to claim 26 , wherein said specific content item identifier is the first in said list.
28 . A method according to claim 26 , wherein said specific content item identifier is identified by user input received from said one content item receiver.
29 . A method according to claim 28 , further comprising associating said one or more further content items with a content item corresponding to a specific content item identifier in said list based on one or more of the following non-limiting list of metadata: genre; lead actor/actress; producer; topic; subject; distributor; channel owner and content item owner.
30 . A method according to claim 29 , further comprising associating said one or more further content items with a content item corresponding to a specific content item identifier in said list based on recommendation rules in said viewer profile.
31 . A method according to claim 30 , wherein said configuration data is used to generate actionable items on a user interface of the content item receiver.
32 . A method according to claim 31 , wherein said configuration data is used to determine the branding of parts or all of a user interface visible to the viewer from time to time.
33 . A method according to claim 32 wherein said configuration data is used to determine the appropriate user interface behaviours on the content item receiver, for example from the following non-limiting list: on-focus scaling, focus transition effects, other focus highlighting options, item navigation policy, transparency, and appearance and disappearance visual effects of on screen items.
34 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein said configuration data is used to determine appropriate user interface actionable items, for example from the following non-limiting list: items on menus, items on sub menus, items as “colour button” accelerators, items as “numeric” accelerators.
35 - 53 . (canceled)
54 . A communications system substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the drawings.
55 - 56 . (canceled)