Adaptable programming guide for networked devices

Abstract

An electronic content guide is disclosed. The electronic content guide preferably includes a source field for listing content sources and output devices. The electronic content guide also includes a first content field for listing schedule data corresponding to first content data presently available for viewing from each one of the content sources and for listing display information corresponding to the first content data being displayed for viewing at a present time by each one of the output devices. Preferably, the source field and the first content field are displayable in parallel columns. The electronic content guide can also include a second content field, displayable in a column parallel to the source field and the first content field, corresponding to a second content data. In one embodiment, the first content data from each content source can be displayed simultaneously on more than one of the output devices.

1 . A system for providing an improved universal schedule comprising: 
 a programming server operatively coupled to an output device and a plurality of content source providers and comprising a CPU and a memory, the memory further comprising executable instructions which when executed by the CPU cause the server to send signals to the output device, the signals being operative to: 
 display a universal content guide; and  
 display a plurality of entries in the universal content guide, wherein each entry is associated with and describes a content source available from one of the plurality of content source providers, wherein content sources from at least two different content source providers are described by the entries.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the entries are not grouped according to the content source providers their associated content sources are available from.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the memory further includes instructions which cause the computer to: 
 receive a communication from a user which indicates that one of the entries is selected by the user; and    cause the output device to play the content source associated with the selected entry.    
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the memory further includes instructions which cause the computer to: 
 receive a communication from a user which indicates that one of the entries is selected by the user;    find the content source associated with that entry;    identify the content being currently presented by that content source;    search other content sources for different instances of said content, in order to obtain a set of plurality of instances of said content;    apply one or more criteria to the set of instances of said content;    identify an instance of said content that satisfies the one or more criteria to the highest degree; and    cause the output device to play the identified instance of said content.    
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group comprising: pixel resolution, color resolution, media encoding format, aspect ratio, payment requirements, download requirements, language, availability of subtitles or closed captioning, alteration of content from its original version, ability to pause content while viewing, and an optimization factor.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of content source providers is chosen from the group consisting of: a cable service, a satellite service, a free broadcast service, a DVD player, a VCR player, an MP3 player, a mass storage device, and a network based video on demand service.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of content source providers is an Internet server.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least two of the multiple content source providers each provide multiple content sources, each content source of the multiple content sources being a television channel.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a multiple item content source is available from at least one of the content source providers, the multiple item content source comprising a plurality of items of content which are all available on demand.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises further executable instructions which when executed by the CPU cause the computer to send signals to the output device, the signals being operative to: 
 display a second plurality of entries in the universal content guide, wherein each entry is associated with and describes a content item available from the multiple item content source.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises further executable instructions which when executed by the CPU cause the computer to send signals to the output device, the signals being operative to: 
 display an additional single entry in the universal content guide, the additional single entry being associated with the multiple item content source;    receive a communication from a user indicating the user's selection of the additional entry; and    display an additional menu showing a plurality of second records respectively associated with each content item comprised by the multiple item content source.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the memory comprises further executable instructions which when executed by the CPU cause the computer to send signals to the output device, the signals being operative to: 
 receive a communication from the user indicating that the user has selected one of the plurality of second records; and    cause the output device to play the content item associated with the selected record.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises further executable instructions which when executed by the CPU cause the computer to send signals to the output device, the signals being operative to: 
 find a set of content sources available from the plurality of content source providers, the set of content sources presenting the same content item at the same time,    apply one or more criteria to the content sources of the set of content sources to obtain an individual ranking for each content source, and    modify the display of plurality of entries for the content sources of the set of content sources in the universal content guide, the modification being based on the individual rankings of the content sources.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of entries for the content sources of the set of content sources are displayed in descending order of their individual rankings.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein a set of repeating content sources include the same content item available at the same time, and the modification of the display includes removing all but one or more of the highest ranked of the set of repeating content sources.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group comprising: pixel resolution, color resolution, media encoding format, aspect ratio, payment requirements, download requirements, language, availability of subtitles or closed captioning, alteration of content from its original version, ability to pause content while viewing, and an optimization factor.  
   
   
       17 . A method for providing an improved universal schedule comprising the steps of: 
 displaying a universal content guide at the output device; and    displaying a plurality of entries in the universal content guide, wherein each entry is associated with and describes a content source available from one of a plurality of content source providers,    wherein content sources from at least two different content source providers are described by the entries.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the entries are not grouped according to the content source providers their associated content sources are available from.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the steps of: 
 receiving a communication from a user which indicates that one of the entries is selected by the user; and    causing the output device to play the content source associated with the selected entry.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a communication from a user indicating that one of the entries is selected by the user;    finding the content source associated with that entry;    identifying the content being currently presented by that content source;    searching other content sources for different instances of said content, in order to obtain a set of plurality of instances of said content;    applying one or more criteria to the set of instances of said content;    identifying an instance of said content that satisfies the one or more criteria to the highest degree; and    causing the output device to play the identified instance of said content.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group comprising: pixel resolution, color resolution, media encoding format, aspect ratio, payment requirements, download requirements, language, availability of subtitles or closed captioning, alteration of content from its original version, ability to pause content while viewing, and an optimization factor.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of content source providers is chosen from the group consisting of: a cable service, a satellite service, a free broadcast service, a DVD player, a VCR player, an MP3 player, a mass storage device, and a network based video on demand service.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein at least one of the plurality of content source providers is an Internet server.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least two of the plurality of content source providers each provide multiple content sources, each content source of the multiple content sources being a television channel.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a multiple item content source is available from at least one of the content source providers, the multiple item content source comprising a plurality of items of content which are all available on demand.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 displaying a second plurality of entries in the universal content guide, wherein each entry is associated with and describes a content item available from the multiple item content source.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 displaying an additional single entry in the universal content guide, the additional single entry being associated with the multiple item content source;    receiving a communication from a user indicating the user's selection of the additional single entry; and    displaying an additional menu showing a plurality of second records respectively associated with each content item comprised by the multiple item content source.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a communication from the user indicating that the user has selected one of the plurality of second records; and    causing the output device to play the content item associated with the selected record.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 17 , further including the steps of: 
 finding a set of content sources available from the plurality of content source providers, the plurality of content sources presenting the same content item at the same time,    applying one or more criteria to the content sources of the set of content sources to obtain an individual ranking for each content source, and    modifying the display of plurality of entries for the content sources of the set of content sources in the universal content guide, the modification being based on the individual rankings of the content sources.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of entries for the content sources of the set of content sources are displayed in descending order of their individual rankings.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein a set of repeating content sources include the same content item available at the same time, and the modification of the display includes removing all but the highest ranked of the set of repeating content sources.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group comprising: pixel resolution, color resolution, media encoding format, aspect ratio, payment requirements, download requirements, language, availability of subtitles or closed captioning, alteration of content from its original version, ability to pause content while viewing, and an optimization factor.