IP Library Granted Patent US 10,003,858
Granted Patent B2
US 10,003,858 · App. 14/274,389 · Granted Jun 19, 2018

Provisioning commercial-free media content

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,003,858
App. No.
14/274,389
Granted
Jun 19, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provisioning commercial-free or break-free media content. Example types of media or media content may include advertising media, broadcast media, social media, news media, and etc. In a satellite broadcast television implementation, subscribers may be provided the ability to search for and optionally access commercial-free programming.

Claims (63)

1. A method, comprising:

outputting, by a television receiver, an electronic programming guide that includes indicators of media content that includes commercials;

receiving, by the television receiver, a search string of one or more keywords to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

responsive to a selection of a user-selectable option to perform a commercial-free content search, performing, by the television receiver, the commercial-free content search, the commercial-free content search comprising querying a plurality of different data sources, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

organizing, by the television receiver, the identified instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords for selection by a user, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

creating, by the television receiver, a commercial-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising commercial-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

outputting, by the television receiver, a commercial-free results interface that presents the commercial-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the commercial-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the one or more keywords and that is identified as commercial-free, and the commercial-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user's associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting commercial-free instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of commercial-free content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier upon confirmation of payment of fee to access the particular instance of commercial-free media content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display device a preview segment of a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to define a particular media content source as having priority greater than another media content source.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available access to commercial-free media content from a particular media content source.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available media content related to a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides access to a website associated with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular advertisement selected based upon a particular association with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

12. A television receiver, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output an electronic programming guide that includes a user-selectable option to perform a break-free content search;

detect a selection of the user-selectable option to perform the break-free content search, and query a plurality of different data sources to facilitate the break-free content search, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the query, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the query comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the query comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

organize the identified instances of media content matched with one or more keywords for selection by a user;

create a break-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising break-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having breaks during the instance of media content;

output a break-free results interface that presents the break-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the break-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of content that is matched with the query and that is identified as break-free, and the break-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

output to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user's associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.

13. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

select break-free instances of content matched with one or more query keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of break-free content.

14. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

15. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

16. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected generates a request for the television receiver to output an interface that presents advertisement content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device.

17. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an interface that includes textual content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device.

18. The television receiver of claim 12 , wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected activates the television receiver to contact a network-based resource other than the television receiver over a communication interface.

19. One or more non-transitory, processor-readable media having processor-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to:

cause output of an electronic programming guide that includes indicators of media content that includes commercials;

process a search string of one or more keywords to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

responsive to a selection of a user-selectable option to perform a commercial-free content search, causing performance the commercial-free content search that comprises querying with respect to a plurality of different data sources, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

organize the identified instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords for selection by a user, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

create a commercial-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising commercial-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

cause output of a commercial-free results interface that presents the commercial-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the commercial-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the one or more keywords and that is identified as commercial-free, and the commercial-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

cause output to the presentation device for display of an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user's associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2021
From: DISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION; DISH NETWORK L.L.C.; DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058295/0293 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 12, 2018
From: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 046860/0734 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2014
From: AUSTIN, JARROD
To: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 032864/0381 →