Dynamic adjustment of electronic program guide displays based on viewer preferences for minimizing navigation in VOD program selection

摘要

Items of video content offered for viewing on a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV service provider are each assigned a respective title and hierarchical address corresponding to hierarchically-arranged categories and subcategories within which the title for the video content is to be categorized. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. The EPG dynamically adjust its display listings of each level of categories, subcategories, and titles in order to minimize the number of remote control keypresses needed for a viewer to navigate to a title of interest. In one basic form, the EPG display is reordered by listing more frequently visited categories or subcategories first, and other less frequently visited categories or subcategories lower on the listing or out-of-sight on another page of the display.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
(a) providing, to a first Internet-connected digital device, a viewer interface application configured to access a digital television service provider system to obtain video-on-demand electronic media content and linear video content corresponding to a linear television channel, wherein the video-on-demand electronic media content is obtained from a VOD content delivery system of the digital television service provider system that has obtained the video-on-demand electronic media content and respective VOD metadata associated with the video-on-demand electronic media content, the respective VOD metadata comprising respective title data, respective category data, and respective subcategory data, and wherein the viewer interface application is further configured to provide access to an individualized electronic program guide for at least video-on-demand electronic media content based at least in part on (1) electronic viewing data for a first user, and (2) the VOD metadata; (b) receiving, at the digital television service provider system from the first Internet-connected digital device, login credentials; (c) verifying, by the digital television service provider system, that the login credentials are associated with a user account; (d) transmitting, to the first Internet-connected digital device, an electronic authorization for the viewer interface application to access privileges associated with the user account; (e) receiving, at the digital television service provider system via the Internet from the first Internet-connected digital device, a first electronic access request to access video-on-demand electronic media content; (f) accessing, at the digital television service provider system upon receipt of the first electronic access request, a first individualized electronic program guide data for video-on-demand electronic media content wherein the first individualized electronic program guide data is generated by:
(i) accessing, at the digital television service provider system from one or more non-transitory processor readable memory devices operatively connected to the digital television service provider system, first electronic viewing data associated with the first user; and(ii) generating, at the digital television service provider system, the first individualized electronic program guide data for video-on-demand electronic media content, based at least in part on
(1) the first electronic viewing data, and(2) the VOD metadata; (g) transmitting, from the digital television service provider system to the first Internet-connected digital device via the Internet, the first individualized electronic program guide; (h) receiving, at the digital television service provider system from the first Internet-connected digital device, a first VOD media request for a first video-on-demand electronic media content; (i) updating, by the digital television service provider system, the first electronic viewing data with information associated with the first VOD media request to generate second electronic viewing data; (j) transmitting, from the digital television service provider system via the Internet to the first Internet-connected digital device, the first video-on-demand electronic media content identified in the first VOD media request for display on a first display associated with the first Internet-connected digital device; (k) transmitting, to a tuner associated with the first user, first linear video content for viewing on a second display associated with the tuner; (l) receiving, at the digital television service provider system via a closed delivery system from the tuner, a second electronic access request to access video-on-demand electronic media content; (m) transmitting, from the digital television service provider system to the tuner, a second individualized electronic program guide data for video-on-demand electronic media content, wherein the second individualized electronic program guide data is generated based at least in part upon (1) the second electronic viewing data, and (2) the VOD metadata; (n) receiving, at the digital television service provider system from the tuner, a second VOD media request for a second video-on-demand electronic media content; (o) updating, by the digital television service provider system, the second electronic viewing data with information associated with the second VOD media request to generate third electronic viewing data; and (p) transmitting, from the digital television service provider system via the closed delivery system to the tuner, the second video-on-demand electronic media content identified in the second VOD media request for display on the second display.