IP Library Granted Patent US 12,250,425
Granted Patent B2
US 12,250,425 · App. 18/200,920 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Methods and systems for providing relevant season series recording functionality

Inventors: Alexander William Liston (Menlo Park, CA); Kenichiro Tanaka (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc.
H04N21/4312G06F3/0482G06F9/4451G06F9/451G06F21/00G06F21/10G06F21/629H04N21/42204H04N21/4221H04N21/431H04N21/4334H04N21/441H04N21/44204H04N21/44222H04N21/44226H04N21/4532H04N21/458H04N21/4667H04N21/4668H04N21/47H04N21/47214H04N21/4755H04N21/4826H04N21/8405H04N21/8586G06F3/04817G06F3/04845
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,250,425
App. No.
18/200,920
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided herein for scheduling a season recording. A series is provided to a user device, the series having a plurality of sequential seasons, and each season having a plurality of episodes. A request for recording the series is received from the user. In response, a last episode of the series watched by the user is identified. A relevant season of the plurality of seasons is then determined, such that the relevant season precedes another season of the plurality of seasons and includes the last episode watched by the user. Then, episodes of the relevant season that follow the last episode watched by the user are scheduled for recording, such that episodes of a season that precedes the relevant season are not scheduled for recording.

Claims (38)

1. A method comprising:

displaying on a user interface, a plurality of applications through which a plurality of media content items associated with each application may be accessed;

determining an expiration of a subscription for each application, from the plurality of applications displayed on the user interface, wherein the subscription allows access to the plurality of media content items associated with the application;

determining that the subscription to a first application, from the plurality of applications, expires in a shorter amount of time than the subscription to a second application;

determining a first visual cue for the first application based on the shorter amount of time to the expiration of the subscription to the first application; and

visually distinguishing the first application from the second application by displaying the first application with the first visual cue on the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual distinguishing relates to using different colors to highlight the first and second application based on an expiration status of the corresponding subscription.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, determining a visual cue for distinguishing each application, from the plurality of applications, based on an expiration status of the corresponding subscription.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first visual cue is determined based on the shorter amount of time to the expiration of the subscription to the first application.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the subscription related to a third application, from the plurality of applications, has expired; and

visually distinguishing the third application from an application, from the plurality of applications, whose subscription is active.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual distinction between the third application whose subscription has expired and the application whose subscription is active relates to a size of an icon displayed on the user interface and associated with the application.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, enlarging the size of the application whose subscription is active as compared to the third application whose subscription has expired.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that a user device on which the user interface is displayed, does not have an account for a fourth application, from the plurality of applications, displayed on the user interface; and

in response to the determination: visually distinguishing the fourth application to which the user device does not have an account from an application, from the plurality of applications, to which the user device has an account.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the visual distinction between the fourth application to which the user device does not have an account and the application to which the user device has an account relates to opacity of an icon displayed on the user interface and associated with the application.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, displaying the fourth application to which the user device does not have an account with a higher opacity that the application to which the user device has an account.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein displaying the fourth application to which the user device does not have an account with a higher opacity comprises fading out the fourth application from the user interface.

12. A system comprising:

memory; and

control circuitry configured to:

display on a user interface, a plurality of applications through which a plurality of media content items associated with each application may be accessed;

determine an expiration of a subscription for each application, from the plurality of applications displayed on the user interface, wherein the subscription allows access to the plurality of media content items associated with the application;

determine that the subscription to a first application, from the plurality of applications, expires in a shorter amount of time than the subscription to a second application;

determine a first visual cue for the first application based on the shorter amount of time to the expiration of the subscription to the application; and

visually distinguish the first application from the second application by displaying the first application with the first visual cue on the user interface.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the visual distinguishing relates to the control circuitry configured to using different colors to highlight the first and second application based on an expiration status of the corresponding subscription.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to determine a visual cue for distinguishing each application, from the plurality of applications, based on an expiration status of the corresponding subscription.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first visual cue is determined by the control circuitry based on the shorter amount of time to the expiration of the subscription to the first application.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:

determine that the subscription related to a third application, from the plurality of applications, has expired; and

visually distinguish the third application from an application, from the plurality of applications, whose subscription is active, wherein the visual distinction relates to a size of an icon displayed on the user interface and associated with the application.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising, the control circuitry configured to:

determine that a user device on which the user interface is displayed, does not have an account for a fourth application, from the plurality of applications, displayed on the user interface; and

in response to the determination: visually distinguish the fourth application to which the user device does not have an account from an application, from the plurality of applications, to which the user device has an account, wherein the visual distinction relates to opacity of an icon displayed on the user interface and associated with the application.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein visually distinguishing the fourth application based on opacity comprises the control circuitry configured to fade out the fourth application from the user interface.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 069112/0430 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2023
From: LISTON, ALEXANDER WILLIAM; TANAKA, KENICHIRO
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 063743/0031 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17684014 · Mar 1, 2022
Continuation 17166306 · Feb 3, 2021
Continuation 16807425 · Mar 3, 2020
Continuation 15857183 · Dec 28, 2017
Provisional Application 62558328 · Sep 13, 2017
Provisional Application 62441897 · Jan 3, 2017
Related Publication 20230300401A1 · Sep 21, 2023
References Cited (62)
US 6239794B1 · Yuen et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6564378B1 · Satterfield et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6906696B2 · Allport · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7082254B1 · Rashkovskiy et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7165098B1 · Boyer et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7375673B2 · Spilo · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7761892B2 · Ellis et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8046801B2 · Ellis et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8312535B1 · Gordon · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 8693844B2 · Wei et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8760265B2 · Krueger · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8819735B2 · Rai et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8839235B2 · Lee et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9195721B2 · Soto Matamala et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9591339B1 · Christie et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9712856B2 · Wertheimer et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10623802B2 · Liston et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11277656B2 · Liston et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11700416B2 · Liston et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20020174430A1 · Ellis et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20030061610A1 · Errico · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20030208763A1 · McElhatten et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20050090235A1 · Vermola · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20050235316A1 · Ahmad-Taylor · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050251827A1 · Ellis et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20060004834A1 · Pyhälammi et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060149751A1 · Jade et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070031116A1 · Takatsuka · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070154163A1 · Cordray · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070157249A1 · Cordray et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080189654A1 · Thomas · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080301231A1 · Mehta · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20100153885A1 · Yates · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110246891A1 · Schubert et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120311640A1 · Cahnbley et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130109357A1 · Ganatra et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130283317A1 · Guntupalli et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150134436A1 · Lambert · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150281635A1 · Tang et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160014461A1 · Leech et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160066040A1 · Webster et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160142783A1 · Bagga et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170003840A1 · Utsuki et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170055039A1 · Earle · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170163701A1 · Ashkan et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170214975A1 · Schmidt et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180189076A1 · Liston et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180192117A1 · Liston et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200204855A1 · Liston et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210185383A1 · Liston et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220191581A1 · Liston et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
EP 1534014A2 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010057203A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010066837A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011512701A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012514793A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015115703A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 0207433A1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
WO 2006060157A2 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO 2007078623A2 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015013209A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
PCT Partial International Search Report for International Application No. PCT/US2018/050853, dated Dec. 7, 2018 (13 pages). [cited by applicant]