Method and system for locating programming on a television

摘要

A method, system, and executable instructions are provided that obtain, from a network accessible content provider, electronic program guide (“EPG”) information, the EPG information comprising, for each program, airtime, program name, program channel, and program description, display, on a screen of a television, a search panel, the search panel comprising a search term field to receive a search term and at least one previous search term used by the user in a prior search, wherein selection of the at least one previous search term initiates a search of the EPG information using the at least one previous search term as one or more selected search term, perform the search using one or more selected search terms, the one or more selected search terms being received in the search term field or a selected previous search term, obtain a set of search results, the set of search results comprising EPG information corresponding to multiple channels and/or programs, display the search results on the television screen, receive, from a remote control of the user, a program selection from the displayed search results, and change a current channel to a channel broadcasting the program selection.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
accessing, from a network accessible external content source, electronic program guide (“EPG”) information, the EPG information comprising, for each program, airtime, program name, program channel, and program description; displaying, by a microprocessor executable application framework and on a screen of a television, a search panel, the search panel comprising a search term field to receive a search term and at least one previous set of search terms used by a user in a prior search, wherein selection of the at least one previous set of search terms initiates a search of the EPG information using the at least one previous set of search terms as a first selected set of search terms; performing, by a microprocessor executable data service of the television, the search using a second selected set of search terms, the second selected set of search terms being received in the search term field or a selected previous set of search terms, said performing comprising:
receiving, from the application framework, the second selected set of search terms, the second selected set of search terms being received in the search term field or a selected previous set of search terms;in response, a microprocessor executable content presentation service opening a socket and sending the second selected set of search terms to a microprocessor executable content aggregation service; andproviding, by the microprocessor executable content aggregation service, the second selected set of search terms to plural external content sources, wherein the plural external content sources comprise a Web site other than the EPG content source; receiving, by the microprocessor executable content aggregation service, local search results, from a local database of the television; the local search results responsive to the second selected set of search terms; receiving, by the microprocessor executable content aggregation service, non-local search results responsive to the second selected set of search terms from the plural external content sources, the plural external content sources comprising an Internet site and one or both of cable and satellite content sources other than the Internet site; the non-local search results comprising EPG information corresponding to multiple channels and/or programs; providing, by the microprocessor executable content presentation service, the local and non-local search results, over the previously opened socket to one or more users, the providing comprising displaying, by the application framework, the local and non-local search results on the television screen; receiving, by the application framework and from a remote control of the user, a program selection from the displayed set of local and non-local search results; and changing, by the application framework, a current channel to a channel broadcasting the program selection, wherein, when the search session is over, the microprocessor executable content presentation service disconnects the socket.