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US 11,768,872 B2Granted
Apparatus, systems and methods for media content searching
AssigneeDISH Technologies L.L.C.
InventorMala Benn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Media device systems and methods are operable to identify media content events. An exemplary embodiment receives a user defined keyword tag, associates an identifier of a media content event with the user defined keyword tag, stores the user defined keyword tag and the associated identifier in a database, receives a user specification of the user defined keyword tag, conducts a search of the user defined keyword tags in the database for instances where the user defined keyword tag of the second user specification matches with the stored user defined keyword tag of the first user specification, and generates a return message that indicates the associated identifier of the media content event for each instance where the user defined keyword tag matches with the stored user defined keyword tag.
Claims17
A method for identifying media content events, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a media device, a first user specification of a user defined keyword tag designated by a first user;
- associating an identifier of a media content event with the user defined keyword tag specified in the first user specification;
- storing the initially received user defined keyword tag and the associated identifier of the media content event in a database configured to store a plurality of other keyword tags and their respective associated identifier of at least one media content event;
- receiving a second user specification of the user defined keyword tag designated by a second user, wherein the second user specification is received after the first user specification;
- conducting a search of the user defined keyword tags in the database for instances where the user defined keyword tag of the second user specification matches with the stored user defined keyword tag of the first user specification;
- establishing a communication link from the media device to at least one remote electronic device;
- receiving, from the at least one remote electronic device via the communication link, information that identifies a plurality of second users associated with a community of users, wherein the first user is also a member of the community of users who are associated with each other through the user defined keyword tag;
- generating a return message, wherein the return message indicates the associated identifier of the media content event for each instance where the user defined keyword tag of the second user specification matches with the stored user defined keyword tag of the first user specification;
- and
- presenting the return message to a user;
- wherein the return message indicates the identity information for the plurality of second users, and
- wherein the return message indicates, for at least one of the plurality of second users, at least one second user defined keyword tag that has been defined by that second user and an identifier of another media content event that has been associated with that second user defined keyword tag.
9 more elements
A media device, comprising:
- a media content stream interface configured to receive a media content stream, wherein the media content stream includes a plurality of media content events;
- a memory medium communicatively coupled to the media content stream interface and configured to store a database comprising:
- a plurality of user defined keyword tags;
- identity information for each user that defined each one of the user defined keyword tags;
- and
- a plurality of identifiers each identifying a media content event, wherein each of the plurality of media content event identifiers are associated with at least one of the plurality of user defined keyword tags;
- a user input interface configured to receive a user specification of at least one user defined keyword tag from a user of the media device;
- a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory medium, the user input interface and the media content stream interface;
- and
- a communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and a communication network;
- wherein the processor system is configured to:
- conduct a search of the user defined keyword tags of the database for instances where the input at least one user defined keyword tag matches with the stored user defined keyword tags in the database;
- generating a return message, wherein the return message indicates the associated media content event identifiers associated with the stored user defined keyword tag that matches the input at least one user defined keyword tag;
- establish a communication link from the media device to at least one remote electronic device;
- and
- communicate to a remote keyword tag system residing in the at least one remote electronic device, via the established communication link, the plurality of user defined keyword tags, the plurality of media content event identifiers associated with each one of the user defined keyword tags, and information that identifies the user of the media device.
13 more elements
A remote keyword tag system comprising:
- a communication interface communicatively coupled to a communication network;
- a memory medium configured to store information in a remote keyword tag database, the remote keyword tag database information comprising:
- a plurality of user defined keyword tags;
- identity information for each user that defined each one of the user defined keyword tags;
- and
- a plurality of identifiers each identifying a media content event, wherein each of the plurality of media content event identifiers are associated with at least one of the plurality of user defined keyword tags;
- and
- a processor system, wherein the processor system is configured to:
- establish a communication link to a media device;
- receive a request from the media device, wherein the request is for the information in the remote keyword tag database;
- communicate the information in the remote keyword tag database to the requesting media device;
- receive from the media device a user defined keyword tag that has been defined by the user of the media device;
- conduct a search of the plurality of user defined keyword tags in the remote keyword tag database for instances where the received user defined keyword tag from the media device matches with any user defined keyword tags stored in the remote keyword tag database;
- and
- communicate information to the media device that indicates the associated identifier of the media content event for each instance where the received user defined keyword tag from the media device matches with any user defined keyword tags stored in the remote keyword tag database.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.