IP Library Granted Patent US 8,661,472
Granted Patent B1
US 8,661,472 · App. 13/648,083 · Granted Feb 25, 2014

Methods, systems, and media for providing media guidance with media content from alternate sources

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,661,472
App. No.
13/648,083
Granted
Feb 25, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, mechanisms for providing media guidance with media content from alternate sources are provided. In some embodiments, a method for providing media guidance with a plurality of media sources is provided, the method comprising: storing a plurality of media content listings corresponding to a plurality of media content items, wherein each of the plurality of media content items is provided by a content source; determining a subset of the plurality of media content listings for presenting to a user; determining, for each media content listing in the subset of the plurality of media content listings, whether an alternate source for providing a media content item corresponding to a media content listing is available, wherein the alternate source is different from the content source; and causing a subset of the plurality of media content listings to be presented to the user, wherein a selectable alternate source indicator is presented within the corresponding media content listing in response to determining that the media content item is available from the alternate source.

Claims (72)

1. A method for providing media guidance with a plurality of media sources, the method comprising:

storing, using a hardware processor, a plurality of media content listings corresponding to a plurality of media content items, wherein the plurality of media content items are provided by a content source;

determining, using the hardware processor, a subset of media content listings for presentation to a user, wherein the subset of media content listings includes one or more of the plurality of media content listings

identifying, using the hardware processor, one or more alternate sources of media content items, wherein each of the one or more alternate sources is different than the content source

determining without user intervention, using the hardware processor, for each of the subset of media content listings each media content listing in the subset of the plurality of media content listings, an availability of a media content item from each of the one or more alternate sources that corresponds to the media content listing;

causing, using the hardware processor, the subset of media content listings to be presented to the user;

concurrently with causing the subset of media content listings to be presented, causing, using the hardware processor, a selectable alternate source indicator is to be presented within at least one of the subset of media content listings adjacent to information identifying the corresponding media content item in response to determining that the corresponding media content item is available from at least one of the one or more alternate sources of media content;

receiving, using the hardware processor, a selection of the alternate source indicator; and

initiating, using the hardware processor, presentation of the corresponding media content item using an available alternate source upon receiving the selection of the alternate source indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing the media content item from one of the one or more alternate sources in response to receiving a user selection of the selectable alternate source indicator, wherein the content source is a broadcast television source and the alternate source is an over-the-top content source.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a program listings grid having one or more rows of media content listings.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a list of search results responsive to a search query from the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item are determined for each of the subset of the plurality of media content listings for presenting to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item is determined for each of the plurality of media content listings.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing a priority list having at least a first alternate source and a second alternate source;

determining whether the media content item is available from the first alternate source;

determining whether the media content item is available from the second alternate source in response to determining that the media content item is unavailable from the first alternate source; and

presenting the selectable alternate source indicator in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source, wherein the second alternate source is assigned to the media content item.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising inhibiting additional alternate sources from being searched for the media content item in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining the available alternate source by assigning the media content item based on a position in the priority list.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing user login information associated with at least one of the one or more alternate sources; and

wherein initiating presentation of the media content item comprises automatically retrieving the media content item from the available alternate source using the stored user login information.

11. A system for providing media guidance with a plurality of media sources, the system comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of media content listings corresponding to a plurality of media content items, wherein the plurality of media content items is are provided by a content source; and

a processor that is configured to:

determine a subset of media content listings for presentation to a user, wherein the subset of media content listings includes one or more of the plurality of media content listings

identify one or more alternate sources of media content items, wherein each of the one or more alternate sources is different than the content source;

determine without user intervention, for each of the subset of media content listings each media content listing in the subset of the plurality of media content listings, an availability of a media content item from each of the one or more alternate sources that corresponds to the media content listing; and

cause the subset of media content listings the plurality of media content listings to be presented to the user;

concurrently with causing the subset of media content listings to be presented, cause a selectable alternate source indicator is to be presented within the at least one of the subset of media content listings adjacent to information identifying the corresponding media content item in response to determining that the corresponding media content item is available from the at least one of the one or more alternate sources of media content;

receive a selection of the alternate source indicator; and

initiate presentation of the corresponding media content item using an available alternate source upon receiving the selection of the alternate source indicator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to access the media content item from one of the one or more alternate sources in response to receiving a user selection of the selectable alternate source indicator, and wherein the content source is a broadcast television source and the alternate source is an over-the-top content source.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a program listings grid having one or more rows of program listings.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a list of search results responsive to a search query from the user.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item are determined for each of the subset of the plurality of media content listings for presenting to the user.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item is determined for each of the plurality of media content listings.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

access a priority list having at least a first alternate source and a second alternate source;

determine whether the media content item is available from the first alternate source;

determine whether the media content item is available from the second alternate source in response to determining that the media content item is unavailable from the first alternate source; and

present the selectable alternate source indicator in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source, wherein the second alternate source is assigned to the media content item.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to inhibit additional alternate sources from being searched for the media content item in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the available alternate source by assigning the media content item based on a position in the priority list.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

store user login information associated with at least one of the one or more alternate sources; and

automatically retrieve the media content item from the available alternate source using the stored user login information.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the process to perform a method for providing media guidance with a plurality of media sources, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of media content listings corresponding to a plurality of media content items, wherein the plurality of media content items are provided by a content source;

determining a subset of media content listings for presentation to a user, wherein the subset of media content listings includes one or more of the plurality of media content listings

identifying one or more alternate sources of media content items, wherein each of the one or more alternate sources is different than the content source;

determining without user intervention for each of the subset of media content listings each media content listing in the subset of the plurality of media content listings, an availability of a media content item from each of the one or more alternate sources that corresponds to the media content listing whether an and

causing the subset of media content listings the to be presented to the user concurrently with causing the subset of media content listings to be presented, causing a selectable alternate source indicator is to be presented within corresponding at least one of the subset of media content listings adjacent to information identifying the corresponding media content item in response to determining that the corresponding media content item is available from at least one of the one or more alternate sources of media content;

receiving a selection of the alternate source indicator; and

initiating presentation of the corresponding media content item using an available alternate source upon receiving the selection of the alternate source indicator.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises accessing the media content item from one of the one or more alternate sources in response to receiving a user selection of the selectable alternate source indicator, wherein the content source is a broadcast television source and the alternate source is an over-the-top content source.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a program listings grid having one or more rows of program listings.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the subset of media content listings is presented to the user as a list of search results responsive to a search query from the user.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item are determined for each of the subset of the plurality of media content listings for presenting to the user.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the one or more alternate sources for the media content item is determined for each of the plurality of media content listings.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:

accessing a priority list having at least a first alternate source and a second alternate source;

determining whether the media content item is available from the first alternate source;

determining whether the media content item is available from the second alternate source in response to determining that the media content item is unavailable from the first alternate source; and

presenting the selectable alternate source indicator in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source, wherein the second alternate source is assigned to the media content item.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises inhibiting additional alternate sources from being searched for the media content item in response to determining that the media content item is available from the second alternate source.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises determining the available alternate source by assigning the media content item based on a position in the priority list.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:

storing user login information associated with at least one of the one or more alternate sources; and

wherein initiating presentation of the media content item comprises automatically retrieving the media content item from the alternate source using the stored user login information.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 2, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044101/0299 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2012
From: KARDATZKE, JEFFREY ARTHUR
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 029100/0105 →