Method and system for channel navigation and predictive tuning in a content receiver

1. A computer-implemented method for channel navigation and predictive tuning in a content receiver having more than one tuner, wherein the channels have assigned channel numbers and categories, the method comprising:

providing a list of categories;

providing an ordered list of channels for each category;

receiving a channel zapping command, selecting a next channel or a previous channel from the list of channels for the current category;

receiving a category zapping command, selecting a last watched channel in a next category or a previous category from the list of categories and changing the current category to the next category or the previous category;

storing the channel number of the selected channel as the last watched channel on the current channel category; and

tuning the content receiver to the selected channel;

applying a default assignment of free tuners as per system preferences for the purpose of predictive channel tuning;

executing in a loop, channel prediction comprising the following steps:

awaiting for a channel category change or channel change request;

storing a time of the request;

determining a direction of the request wherein said directions are selected from a group comprising: a next channel, a previous channel, a next category, and a previous category;

verifying that the stored time is within a threshold to the previous category or channel change and based on the verification:

reading current predictive channel tuning assignment and increasing the number of tuners in the determined direction while decreasing the number of tuners in the direction identified by the system preferences;

storing current predictive channel tuning assignment;

tuning the free tuners to channels according to modified tuners assignment;

returning to the beginning of said loop,

wherein the system preferences for the purpose of predictive channel tuning define: a preference of a channel change over a category change; a preference of a next channel over a previous channel; and a preference of a next category over a previous category.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the list of categories contains a single instance of each category.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the list of categories contains a plurality of entries for at least one category.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the consecutive categories on the list of categories correspond to categories of consecutive channels in the content receiver.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein upon receiving a category zapping command, selecting the next channel or the previous channel with respect to the last watched channel of the current channel category.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, upon receiving a command to tune to a particular channel number, selecting the requested channel and changing the current category to the category of the requested channel.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said free tuners are tuners that are other the tuners used for live presented signals or recordings.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein upon notification that a tuner is released or allocated, applying a default assignment of free tuners as per system preferences for the purpose of predictive channel tuning.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions performing all the steps of the computer-implemented method according to claim 1 when executed on a computer.

10. A system for navigating through channels in a content receiver having more than one tuner, the system comprising:

a content receiving block for providing content of a plurality of programs;

a controller configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

11. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a remote control unit with a dedicated section of buttons comprising at least one of: a SIMILAR− button and a SIMILAR+ button configured to select the previous channel or the next channel within the current category; a NEXT button and a PREV button configured to select the next category or the previous category; and a BACK button configured to select the previously watched channel.